1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to glass bodies and methods of making glass bodies and more particularly to glass bodies, for example, microlenses and arrays of microlenses and methods of making the same.
2. Technical Background
Glass bodies, for example, microlenses are often used to couple light from a source to a detector (or user) and vice-versa. Many conventional microlenses are formed by cast molding of glass or plastic. Many conventional methods of making microlenses use lithographic patterning to define the general shape and size of the microlenses. Typically, the conventional methods either require the deposition or the removal of materials to define the shape after forming the microlens.
Conventional deposition methods of making microlenses on substrates have some disadvantages. This is due mainly to the mismatch of materials due to their coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). Materials such as plastic or polymer are typically used as substrates when glass based materials are not available or can not be used due to cost or processing reasons. Alternatively, further processing steps at high temperatures of the substrate containing the microlens can damage the microlens. This is particularly true for plastic or polymer microlenses. Also several of the conventional methods require polishing of the microlenses prior to use, thus incurring an additional cost of manufacturing.
It would be advantageous to have methods of making glass bodies, for example, microlenses without the need for additional post formation processing. Further, it would be advantageous to minimize the CTE mismatches between the microlens and the substrate.